Spirits are able to penetrate the innermost thoughts of mankind if they choose, as they are continually around him, but no disembodied spirit sees only those things to which it directly gives its attention and pays no heed whatever to those things that do not interest it. Owing to the fact of their being able to read our most secret thoughts they often see and find out many things that we would desire really to hide from ourselves, and it will be seen that it is far more easy to conceal a secret or hide a fact from a person living than to conceal it from the same person after death. Many an individual has fancied himself entirely alone and hidden from every eye, but at the same time he is surrounded by a crowd of spirits who can watch his every move and learn his most secret thought if they desire. Evily disposed spirits enjoy the little annoyances that come to mankind and laugh and amuse themselves at his impatience or anger. The higher grade of spirits pity mankind for his imperfections and shortcomings, and endeavor to aid and cure him of them.

Many have asked, "Do spirits influence the thoughts and actions of mankind?" They do beyond any peradventure of a doubt, and this influence upon your thoughts and actions is far greater than you suppose it to be, as spirits very often attract and control mankind. There are times when man has thoughts that originate with himself, and others that are suggested by disembodied spirits, for you must remember that your soul is a spirit, and you have, also observed that many thoughts, and frequently very opposite ones comes into your mind, referring to the same matter, but at the same time. In cases of this kind some of these thoughts and ideas are your own, some belong to the spirits themselves and are the cause of your uncertainties, because you have thoughts in your mind that have different origins and are consequently opposed to each other. The way and manner of distinguishing between thoughts that belong to you and come from yourself directly, and those which are transmitted to you by spirits is as follows: those thoughts which come to you first are usually your own, but when a thought comes to you like a voice speaking unto you, it comes from a disembodied spirit.

In point of fact this distinction is of practical importance, especially if the impressions that are about to be given you come from the spirits who are good advisers. In consequence of the above, you will see that man is not left to his own freedom even in regard to his innermost thoughts in life. Men of great genius and intelligence do not always draw their ideas from their own minds. It is true their ideas sometimes come from their own souls, but they are more often transmitted to them by the spirits of the Astral Plane, whenever they are thought capable of receiving and understanding them and being worthy of the knowledge transmitted to them. There are times when an individual will not be able to find the idea or thought that he seeks in himself, and if he will make an appeal for inspiration or an evocation, he will receive assistance. It should, of course, be re-membered that every person is not able to distinguish clearly between their own thoughts and those which are transmitted to them by spirits.

If this were best, of course, the power to do so would have been given to every one, as they have been given the power to distinguish between day and night, but when any matter has been left by the Creator for an individual in a state of vagueness, it has been left so because it is better for him. As stated before, our first thoughts are usually our own. The ideas and thoughts transmitted from the spirits upon the Astral Plane may be good or bad, owing to the nature of the spirit, but every person should at all times close the door of their souls to bad impressions. They should also study the quality of the thoughts and impressions transmitted to them, for good spirits give only wise counsel, and it is for us to be able to distinguish between good and bad. The reason why evilly disposed spirits desire to prompt and excite us to evil actions is, because they desire that we suffer the same as they do themselves, because a disembodied spirit is possessed of envy and jealousy of any person who is happier and more pure than they are themselves.

Evilly disposed spirits are used as the instruments of God to test man's faith and constancy for well doing, and the human soul must advance in knowledge of God and it is for this purpose and end that it is forced to pass through the trials and tests of evil in order to attain goodness. The mission of the good spirits who dwell in Spirit Life are the same as those of a good man or woman upon the earth plane, that is to lead and direct you in the right path. The soul of man is like a magnet, that is to say, that it will attract what it desires, for like always attracts like. Any person who is influenced or acted upon by an evil spirit has attracted these spirits to himself by his evil desires, as evil spirits will always come to aid you in doing evil and performing anything that is bad. They can assist you in doing wrong and will prompt you to wrong whenever you give way to your evil desires. If a man is a murderer or a thief in his heart he will attract to himself and there will surround him, many evilly disposed spirits who were murderers and thieves themselves and they will actuate the desire to murder and keep it active within his soul.

On the other hand, there will be good spirits and they will try to influence you for good and this will restore you to your balance and make you able to master yourself if you are inclined to listen to their impressions. It is thus that man has been left to his own conscience and to choose the path and road he desires or decides to follow. He has the liberty and free will of yielding to one influence or the other, as both of these opposing influences act upon the soul of every man. Consequently, it is well for you to remember that you can only detach yourself from evil spirits by setting yourself and your soul against evil thoughts and desires, because evil spirits whose influences and impressions are repelled by your will and soul, are forced to remove their temptations, for as soon as they see that they cannot accomplish their aim they give up the attempt, but are ever watching to continue at the first possible moment, the same as a hawk will watch its prey,, and it is only by doing what is right and putting all of your trust in God that you are able to repel the influence of evil spirits and prevent them from obtaining power and control over you.

You should be ever careful not to listen to the impressions of spirits who are inclined to inspire you with evil thoughts or desires or they would stir up discord in you and excite you to evil passions. Set yourself against those spirits who would flatter you and make you vain and proud, for in doing so they attack mankind on his weakest side. This is why you have been taught to pray thus, "Let us not succumb to temptation but deliver us from evil.,,